University of Colorado

[scully]

Is anyone here considering CU for med school? It is one of my top choices due to the great location and rapidly climbing reputation.

I wish I knew a bit more about the school (besides the quite impressive US News ranking), such as how the students have been matching in recent years. Also, while CU is a top primary care school, I know that research there is quite good. Does anyone know how people who plan to specialize fare there?

Any information about CU from those in the know would be greatly appreciated!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[blingbling]

Scully,

CU is one of my top choices too (primarily because I'm an undergrad at CU right now). Denver is a great city and the med school does indeed have a great rep. My only concern with UCHSC is that the student population is a little older. I'm 20 now... the average age of first years at the school is 26. I know that CU has one of the best ER residency programs in the nation and I read somewhere else that last year several students matched at Stanford, etc.

 

[EricCSU]

I think CU is a great school for a lot of people. Being as it is very close (45 minutes from me), it should be my top choice. It isn't though, because of my visit day there in October. Yes, the student population is older (mean is 27 y/o I think). Also, a lot of students are married, which is fine, but I guess I prefer the younger feel. The lecture hall that you are in for every minute of your MS1 year (besides anatomy and clinical stuff) is very cramped. I'm only 71 inches tall, but I couldn't move that much without banging my knees and my butt was asleep in 30 minutes. That may seem like not a big deal, but it is to me. Also, the student panel was borderline snobby. That is not to say that every student at UCHSC is that way, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth. They assumed that they had all the answers for the pre-meds. They recommended that no one should take an MCAT prep course and that undergrad courses beyond BCPM required courses are useless. I believe, and my advisor agrees, that prep courses can be valuable to a lot of students, but not all. Also, we have a strong anatomy department here. My friend was an anatomy minor (with a year of gross, histology, and neuroanatomy) and he said he is breezing through gross at Nebraska, histology is cake, and neuro sucks (he said that the first time he took it too though). Another thing is that UCHSC is not on a university campus. I really like the feel of a university campus, so I prefer schools like Michigan State which integrate their med school into the campus.

I think that for CO residents, UCHSC is a great choice if you don't mind the things that I've mentioned. And if you're not a CO resident, the $54K for the first year is pretty steep in my opinion, even if you can get residency after a year.

Have a great day

Eric

(YAY! My 100th post! "I'd like to thank the academy...")(if you know what movie that quote is from, you are one cool space monkey!)

 

[Dave2K]

*Wipes away small tear of joy*

I KNEW that there were CO people on this board! I've posted a few times to see if anybody else had/wanted info on UCHSC admissions process and actual program. Never got much response, but I'm glad to see this little thread here.

Personally, I went to CU-Boulder for undergrad (please no comments from CSUguy about recent football rivalries!)

and am now stuck down in the South finishing an MPH. Applying to UCHSC for this fall, had an interview in October and STILL haven't heard anything back. It's horribly exasperating...

My take on our beloved state medschool- It's true that CU is not a undergrad-based medical school, which is unfortunate in some respects and good in another. The location isn't the best, and the facilities are definitely marginal. However, the school will _eventually_ move to the Fitzsimons campus in Aurora, and supposedly the facilities will be spectacular. The program is fairly traditional, but there is some clinical exposure from the onset.

For you out-of-staters: YES, CU is the most expensive school in the country. Sorry. But, you are guaranteed state residency with lowered tuition after your first year, and the four-year total is comparable to a private school. And, ask anybody, Colorado is one of the most beautiful places in the country, with plenty to do no matter what your preference.

Well, this definitely made my day! Best of luck to everybody who posted before me. I hope to see some of you at orientation this fall!

Dave

 

[EricCSU]

Dave--
To tell you the truth, I don't really like the CSU football team all that much. I grew up in Omaha, so I'm a husker fan. Add to this the fact that I was an RA on an athletic floor with 8 obnoxious football players and I really have lukewarm feelings about the team. However, being a NU fan, I couldn't live with myself and go to Boulder, so it made picking my undergrad institution that much easier.

If CU was my only acceptance, I would most probably go there rather than apply again. They like CSU students, so my chances are with me. I am really surprised that you haven't heard yet. All of my friends heard 2 weeks ago. That is another thing that bothers me about CU, the ridiculous admissions structure. You are one of hundreds of interviewees invited in late fall and they don't even look at acceptances till January and nobody knows until March. I think that is a total load of $hit. Also, their "firm belief in the value of affirmative action" didn't go over too well with me either. Maybe that makes me a hippocrit (sp?) because U of MI is my second choice school, but c'mon, it's Michigan!

Feel free to email if you want to talk about all things Colorado. I agree that this is one of the most beatiful states around. Have a great day.

Eric

 

[scully]

Thanks for your replies, guys! Dave2K, maybe you should give them a call? I hate calling admissions offices and avoid it at all costs, but I have heard of letters getting lost. Good luck--hope to see you in the fall! I agree that Colorado is the most beautiful state in the country. I was born and raised there (undergrad at Colorado College in the springs.) Unfortunately I am no longer a resident, so the price for that beauty will be high!

EricCSU, you mentioned a student panel--what was that? I don't think our tour guide took us to the first year lecture hall, was it pretty bad? We did see the library. It was pretty small, but comparable to Stanford's. My tour guide said not many people use it.

This move to Fitzsimmons won't affect us, right? I think I asked this at the interview, but wasn't given a clear answer.

Are you guys going to the April information session? (Another reason for you to call soon, Dave!)

[This message has been edited by scully (edited March 29, 2001).]

 

[EricCSU]

There was a pre-med day in October where they had programs set up for us. It was basically 4 hours of lectures about the same old B.S. and then an hour of a student panel. The lecture hall is new but apparently not made for people over 5'9". The Fitzsimmons move will affect you actually. I've heard that they will start clerkships there for the entering fall class (so, in 2003). Too bad UCHSC doesn't give out scholarships like CC, huh? I'm from the springs, but couldn't afford CC, so it wasn't even an option.

Eric

 

[EricCSU]

Unless you are an under-represented minority, you really don't have a shot at any money from UCHSC. I really don't have any idea where people live. UCHSC is number eight on my list of eight schools, so I haven't really investigated it too much. I am actually 5'11", so the 5'9" thing cam from the fact that I wish I had about two more inches of leg room. I do know that UCHSC has a student affairs office. I would call them up and see if they can give you any info about housing. Have a great day.

Eric

 

[Dave2K]

Well, I called up CU yesterday, and guess what? No decision has been made on my application. The guy I talked to said that they will hopefully have a decision by next week, certainly within the next two! Can you believe that? I'm pushing six months since I had my interview out there....It's so frustrating!

Eric- Of all the people you know who have heard back, were any of them waitlisted? I'm nearly 100% certain now that I'll be put on the waitlist, which is what is taking so much time to determine, since I'm pretty sure that CU has a pre-ranked, non-flexible waitlist and releases all the decisions at once. Then, they sit back and fill in class spots as need be.

As far as living is concerned, yeah, LoDo would be a great place to live, but I'm sure it would cut into my motivation. I think there is a good deal of housing near the med center, but lots of people live spread throughout the city, especially with the older, married student population. At my interview, I talked with a guy who commutes in from CO Springs! Not for me, thanks.

Personally, I'd probably live near Congress/Cheesman park just West of the campus if I had my choice, and could find a decent place around there. Of course, there is something to be said for living near Aurora, closer to Fitzsimons for rotations in 3rd year...Heck, I'll cross that bridge after I (hopefully) get in!

Dave

 

[Class2004]

Used to check out this board when I was pre med and just thought I'd see what was being talked about. I am almost! done with my first year at UCHSC Med and wanted to offer to answer any ?s that you guys might have.

 

[josejalapeno]

is CUHSC a highly ranked med school?

 

[maraliason]

Questions about CU Med:

What is the first year like in terms of avg. hours per day spent studying and preparing. How much time of the day is spent in lecture?

Is is really easy to find students to study with? I am the average age (26) and would like to find people such as myself who aren't just out of undergrad to form study groups with. Are students receptive to this?

Do you know where I can find a residency match list? I tend to think that the website is poor for finding information.

If it helps, I just received my acceptance about a week ago. They may be a little slower with some applicants since I noticed people mentioning that they received acceptances several weeks ago.

Thanks for your time and good luck to everyone.

 

[maraliason]

Dave,

Have you been accepted to any other schools? I know that CU is you first choice, but did you apply to others such as Emory, where you are doing your MPH or other private schools? Also, if you have had any other interviews, how did the interviewers feel about you persuing an MPH?

 

[docuw]

maraliason:

Why the bias against freshies (straight out of undergrad)? Are they less intelligent, emotionally unstable, not able to concentrate in study groups? Just curious, because I would have no problems letting an old geezer like you study with me.

-DocUW

 

[scully]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by Class2004:
Used to check out this board when I was pre med and just thought I'd see what was being talked about. I am almost! done with my first year at UCHSC Med and wanted to offer to answer any ?s that you guys might have. •

Thanks for your offer! I am curious about some of the same things as maraliason, and in addition, I would like to know what is going on with the dog lab situation. That is my main problem with UCHSC, and I was hoping you could tell me how students who opt out are treated/what options they are given/how they are viewed by the faculty, etc...

 

[Class2004]

We spend a number of hours in lecture, although it does vary day by day. On the average though, we go from 9-2, sometimes starting at 8, sometimes going till 4 or 5.

I personally think the average age is a bit misleading. It is probably more of a bimodal curve, with the ~26 average being elevated by a number of &gt;35 year old students. Any person of any age would have no trouble finding contemporaries to study with.

I am right in the middle of dog labs now. It was definitely a struggle, and the school does attempt to help as best as they can. For those who don't wish to participate, there are a number of simulation labs that must be completed that are supposed to reflect the type of material you learn in the dog lab. As a whole, phys is the best class you take first year, and it lasts pretty much the whole year. Neuro is good during winter, and I really didn't think anything was bad. Don't get me wrong, some aren't great, but you have to make the best of it.

I really like school. It is a lot of work, but you kind of have to wait and see how it is when you get here. No amount of planning now is going to prepare you for what it is. You WILL adapt to a pattern that works for you. Enjoy your summer and be excited for school.

 

[scully]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">

I am right in the middle of dog labs now. It was definitely a struggle, and the school does attempt to help as best as they can. For those who don't wish to participate, there are a number of simulation labs that must be completed that are supposed to reflect the type of material you learn in the dog lab. As a whole, phys is the best class you take first year, and it lasts pretty much the whole year. Neuro is good during winter, and I really didn't think anything was bad. Don't get me wrong, some aren't great, but you have to make the best of it.

[/B]•

Thanks for your reply! Just to clarify: are you saying that phys with dog labs last through the entire first year?

 

[Methuselah]

Scully, Dave2K, BlingBling--interesting name, by the way

, it's good to hear from fellow Buffaloes. I believe that 2005 is going to be a good class. I'll see (some of) you on April 28th, and the rest on August 20th. In the meantime, GO AVS!

 

[Class2004]

Phys labs only take place in the spring. Two of them involve dogs.

 

[Dave2K]

....must...not...let...CU..thread.....die!...

I'm still patiently waiting to hear back from CU... Until then, more time to kill here on the SDN forums!

Personally, being 24, I am stuck at the in-between stage of your two main "groups" of medstudents, especially at CU. I hope to get to know most of my classmates. Younger ones to keep partying with, since I haven't given up entirely on the thought of abandoning my wild ways. But also older students who are more focused, with spouses and families and whatnot. Not to say that students straight out of undergrad aren't serious, or that students with families still can't party, but you know what I mean.

Here's a question for 2004: How difficult was the dog lab, emotionally? I certainly plan on attending (assuming that I get in, blah, blah, blah) but also being a dog owner and dog lover, I'm sure it won't be easy. Roughly what percentage of your class opted out of the lab?

Okay, enough questions for now. Hopefully, I will have more (good!) news to post in the days to come. Later..

 

[maraliason]

I've recently been hearing horror stories about the 3rd year rotations, and even specifically at CU. Never having experienced anything like this, how do people actually pull these off? I've heard that residents and attendings expect 3rd year medical students to know many procedures before they even start the rotations and given the amount of time students are there, how can they possibly study the information they are supposed to know considering there doesn't even seem to be time for sleep? If a student starts medical school with only limited clinical exposure, does the CU program prepare one well enough for the rotations, or are students just expected to learn the skills on their own and pull it off. Any helpful information would be appreciated since I'm start to worry about all of this.

 

[scully]

Is anyone going to the second look weekend on Saturday?

 

[colorado_1]

hey all and congrats to those going to cu med. i am not. i have had a pretty negative experience at this school, but it's over now i was one of those multiple re-applicants, never did really get much info. from the adcoms (believe me i tried) just general stuff. for those of you coloradans trying for cu med, just know many of us end up NOT getting into cu, but getting into much more competitive programs (go figure.) I got into a program that only takes 2-5 out-of-staters per year and my old high school buddy got into Tufts, but not cu. so bottom line, keep your chin up and just make sure you try the other places out there -- you just might find a program that is supposed to be more competitive, but where you fit in well. i think coloradans have a good shot out there and there is life outside of colorado

 

[blingbling]

colorado_1,

I've heard the same thing! Lots of highly qualified students from CU-Boulder aren't accepted to UCHSC but do get in at programs with even higher average entrance stats... I wonder what the UCHSC adcoms look for in a student (I still would like to go there because tuition is MUCH cheaper than at other schools, obviously).

 

[scully]

For those of you who didn't get into CU -- I definitely agree with the above postings that it is not a big deal, and life is good in other states and at other schools! I really wanted to make UCHSC work for me because my family is there and I love the state. However, I don't think it is the school for me. I was not too happy on interview day, but I thought that was an isolated bad day. I went to the spring orientation yesterday, thinking things would be much better, but they were not. I think that Colorado attracts a certain type of student, and if you are different, you won't feel comfortable. I also got the impression that they thought they were doing you a favor by accepting you (unlike some much better schools which really expressed an interest in you as an individual, and tried to sell you on the school.)

And like you, colorado_1, it was next to impossible to get any information about anything!! It was certainly frustrating to call and get answers like "I can't really answer that, but don't worry about it..." Why would I be calling if I didn't need an answer!! Is it so wrong to try and find out a little bit about the program in which you spend the next four years? (Sorry to vent.)

Sadly, I don't think I want to chance being miserable for four years. As stated above, there are other really good schools out there, so I am sure all of you will find one that you will love. And we can always come back to Colorado for residency or practice Good luck to everyone!

 

[blingbling]

What kind of bad experiences did you have at CU? What kind of students do you think fit the UCHSC mold? Just curious...

 

[colorado_1]

well without going into too great of detail (no need for me to vent here -- my friends heard enough of it) i just had several rounds of agressive and more confrontational interviews than i experienced when i interviewed in other states. in other places, they'll tell you about the great things their school can offer, my experience at cu the adcoms spent their time telling you how hard it was to get into their school. like the previous poster, i think they think you owe them something for letting you in, but other schools that want you act like "we can't wait to have you."

 

[EricCSU]

I can definitely agree with the feeling of "you should feel grateful that we invited you to interview or that we're even letting you sit down" attitude. I (3.9 gpa) went to a visit day with a friend (3.4 gpa) because of our "potential to succeed." What bull$hit!

So, what CO schools are you guys from? I'm proud to be a CSU Ram!

Eric

 

[Otomakan]

I am applying to UCHSC and was wondering if my location in SW Colorado would factor into the admission committee's view of me. I graduated from a small Lib Arts school with a mediocre GPA and MCAT scores of 11/8/10. Do I have a shot there even given my resident status?

 

[blingbling]

Originally posted by Otomakan:
•I am applying to UCHSC and was wondering if my location in SW Colorado would factor into the admission committee's view of me. I graduated from a small Lib Arts school with a mediocre GPA and MCAT scores of 11/8/10. Do I have a shot there even given my resident status?•

Being from a more rural/underserved area of Colorado can only help. I think for CO residents, if you meet some minimum GPA/MCAT cutoff (which is pretty low I believe), you will get an interview. Give it a shot . I'm a resident of CO and interviewed there last week so let me know if you have any more questions.